Afghanistan: Whips in hand, harshness towards women; Taliban morality police spark panic in Herat

Kabul: Armed teams from the Taliban regime's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) launched a sweeping operation on Saturday in Herat, a major city in western Afghanistan, to enforce a strict dress code for women. The teams stopped vehicles on the streets, searched women, and detained several of them for failing to wear the 'chador' (a full-body covering). Local residents described the crackdown as terrifying and highly oppressive.

How did the United Nations react?

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed deep concern over the incident on Sunday. A statement from the mission noted that several women in Herat had been arrested and detained for alleged non-compliance with the dress code. UNAMA urged Taliban officials to respect women's fundamental rights and immediately halt acts of arbitrary detention.

Meanwhile, speaking to the news agency AFP on condition of anonymity, locals reported seeing PVPV personnel patrolling the streets on Saturday armed with whips and weapons. They stopped buses, taxis, and private vehicles, specifically inspecting women's attire. A 23-year-old woman recounted, "I saw two officials; one was holding a whip. They were forcibly putting two women—who were not wearing the 'chador'—into a van. Those women were wearing a hijab, niqab, and abaya, but not the 'chador'. The entire area was gripped by fear." Another 27-year-old woman said, "The officials were stopping every vehicle, questioning the women inside, and immediately shoving those not wearing the 'chador' into the van. I saw at least 8 to 10 women being detained in this manner."

What is the effect of this Taliban move?

Since the launch of this campaign, the movement of women in Herat city has virtually come to a halt. A 20-year-old taxi driver stated, "Women are no longer visible in the city at all. We have received clear orders not to pick up any woman who is not wearing the *chador*; otherwise, action will be taken against us as well." Expressing her anguish, a 33-year-old woman said, "We no longer even have the right to breathe freely. We cannot go to schools or universities, nor can we work. Even stepping out of the house has become a punishment. Life has become incredibly difficult and suffocating."

It is worth noting that since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has continuously imposed a series of restrictions on women. Currently, full-body coverage—including the hijab, niqab, abaya, and now the chador-burqa—has been made mandatory for women across Afghanistan whenever they step out of their homes.

The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) has declined to confirm or deny any detentions. The ministry's information department stated that nothing unusual is happening in Herat; the dress code is a command from Allah and the law of the land, and enforcing it is their religious and legal duty.

Meanwhile, numerous international organizations, including the United Nations, have consistently condemned the Taliban's anti-women policies. Restrictions on women's education, bans on entering parks and gyms, prohibitions on traveling without a 'mahram' (male guardian), and now forced checks for dress code compliance on the streets—all these measures are seen as part of the Taliban's strategy to confine women to their homes. Human rights organizations state that under the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam, women have been excluded from almost all public spheres, making the situation for women in Afghanistan reminiscent of the Taliban's rule in the 1990s.